Anatomy & Physiology: Inorganic and Organic Chemistry, Biomolecules, and Metabolism

Flashcards covering chemical principles, biomolecules, macronutrients, and metabolic processes discussed in Chapters 1 through 7.

Isotopes

Different structural forms of the same element that have the same atomic number (number of protons) but varying numbers of neutrons.

Protium

The most common isotope of hydrogen (hydrogen-1), consisting of a single proton with no neutrons.

Deuterium

A rare isotope of hydrogen that consists of one proton and one neutron, commonly found in heavy water.

Tritium

A very rare, radioactive isotope of hydrogen composed of one proton and two neutrons.

Cations

Positively charged ions, such as sodium and potassium, formed when an atom loses electrons.

Anions

Negatively charged ions, such as chloride, formed when an atom gains electrons.

Electrolytes

Ions in solution that carry an electrical charge, enabling rapid and efficient electrical conduction across body tissues.

Oxidation

A chemical reaction involving the loss of electrons from a molecule to oxygen.

Organic Molecules

Carbon-based molecules that contain at least one carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen covalent bond.

Inorganic Molecules

Molecules that lack carbon-carbon or carbon-hydrogen bonds, such as water, mineral ions, oxygen gas, and carbon dioxide.

Bicarbonate

An inorganic ion used by the body to buffer pH and maintain a slightly alkaline systemic state around pH $7.4$.

Monosaccharide

A simple single-sugar molecule, such as glucose or fructose.

Glycogen

A complex, highly branched polysaccharide stored in muscle tissue and the liver that serves as a secondary energy reserve.

Sucrose

A disaccharide commonly known as table sugar, formed by combining one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule.

DNA (Deoxyribonucleic Acid)

A double-stranded nucleic acid containing deoxyribose sugar that remains inside the cell nucleus to store genetic blueprints.

RNA (Ribonucleic Acid)

A single-stranded nucleic acid containing ribose sugar that serves as a temporary transcript or message to build proteins.

ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

The primary cellular energy molecule composed of an adenosine core attached to three high-energy phosphate bonds.

ADP (Adenosine Diphosphate)

The lower-energy molecule resulting from the removal of one phosphate group from ATP during cellular work.

Triglyceride

The primary lipid storage molecule in the body, composed of one glycerol molecule bound to three fatty acid chains.

Calorie

The unit of energy defined as the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of $1$\,g of water by $1^\text{o}\text{C}$.

Steroid Hormones

Lipid-soluble hormones constructed from a four-ring cholesterol backbone, including cortisol, aldosterone, progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.

Phospholipids

Lipids containing a hydrophilic phosphate head and two hydrophobic fatty acid tails, forming the structural foundation of cell membranes.

Collagen

The main structural protein in the body that holds tissues together, forming major parts of skin, bone, and cartilage.

Enzymes

Protein catalysts that accelerate chemical reactions by lowering their required activation energy.

Catalase

An enzyme present in human tissues that converts toxic hydrogen peroxide ($\text{H}_2\text{O}_2$) into water and oxygen gas.

Metabolism

The sum total of all catabolic and anabolic chemical reactions occurring within an organism.

Catabolism

Metabolic processes that break down large molecules into smaller subunits, releasing stored chemical energy.

Anabolism

Metabolic processes that require energy to construct larger, complex molecules from smaller subunits.

Cellular Respiration

The catabolic metabolic pathway that breaks down glucose to capture energy and synthesize ATP.

Transcription

The nuclear process of copying a segment of DNA into an mRNA messenger transcript.

Translation

The process occurring at ribosomes where the code on an mRNA transcript is decoded to assemble amino acids into a protein.